A continuing goal of semiconductor device application is to increase the level of device integration, or in other words to increase the density of devices across a supporting substrate. Methods for increasing the density can include decreasing the size of individual devices, and/or increasing the packing density of the devices (i.e., reducing the amount of space between adjacent devices). In order to develop higher levels of integration, it is desired to develop new device constructions which can be utilized in semiconductor applications, and to develop new methods for fabricating semiconductor device constructions.
A relatively common semiconductor device is a memory device, with a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell being an exemplary memory device. A DRAM cell comprises a transistor and a memory storage structure, with a typical memory storage structure being a capacitor. Modern applications for semiconductor devices can utilize vast numbers of DRAM unit cells. It would therefore be desirable to develop new semiconductor device constructions applicable for utilization in DRAM structures, and it would also be desirable to develop new methods for fabricating DRAM structures.
Although the invention was motivated from the perspective of improving DRAM structures and methods of forming such structures, the invention is not to be limited to such aspects. Rather, the invention is only limited by the accompanying claims as literally worded, without interpretive or other limiting reference to the specification and drawings, and in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.